Night Rain
by X-RainGoddess-X
Summary: ...Amaya. It means night rain. It was the name my mother gave me when I entered this world through her, because the first thing my eyes fixed on was the rain pounding against the windows in our modest hut..."R for language.
1. Introduction:Masked Cruelty

Disclaimer: None of the characters from Inuyasha, the television series or the

graphic novels, belong to me. They are property of Rumiko Takahashi. The

only characters that belong to me are Amaya, Shihya, and the villagers Amaya

refers to in the intro.

Night Rain  
  
By XRainGoddessX  
  
Introduction  
  
Masked Cruelty: Amaya's Story  
  
My name is Amaya. It means "night rain". It was the name my mother gave me   
  
when I first entered this world through her, because the first thing my eyes fixed on was   
  
the rain pounding against the window in our modest hut. My family were simple villagers  
  
living by a dense forest. We wanted nothing to do with the outside world. It wanted   
  
nothing to do with us.  
  
My story is not that of a righteous martyr fighting a glorious battle against the   
  
forces of evil. It is not a glamorous tale of a girl gifted with magnificent powers and   
  
abilities, for I have neither. It is not a tale that mothers will tell their children before  
  
they fall asleep; and the heroine, if you can call me that, is not a wise, patient, infinately   
  
strong and self-sacrificing maiden that young girls will model themselves after. I wish I   
  
could say that in spite of all this, at the end of the tale the girl gains true happiness and   
  
perfect love, and lives happily ever after. Needless to say, my tale is not for the faint of   
  
heart. If you seek faery tales you will have to find them somewhere else.   
  
My father was a great warrior, and a very respected man of our village. Because   
  
of this, the insults and whispers directed at me were always carefully veiled from my   
  
sight, but I was more than aware of them by the time I was eight. Since my birth, it was   
  
said that I was a witch and a demon; when the midwife first saw me, she shrieked that a   
  
youkai had come into the village. This was mostly owing to my eyes. My mother said   
  
nothing of them, but I could see her flinch whenever she let her eyes linger on mine.   
  
My eyes were the color of freshly spilled blood,and the villagers murmered that they   
  
were a youkai's eyes. I don't know what twist of fate gave them to me. They don't   
  
seem to have done anything for me, really. Once, when looking at the other children   
  
playing happily by their mothers, I almost wished I was a youkai, just so that I would   
  
make sense, that I would have some place in this world.  
  
But that was not for me. I was shunned by the other children on account of   
  
my infernal eyes. They seemed to stop what they were doing and back away   
  
nervously whenever I came near. They called my mother a whore, and called me   
  
a filthy, black hearted youkai. So I found my own ways to amuse myself. I played   
  
on my own in the forest, getting to know the plants and the animals, calling them   
  
by my own thought up names. By the time I turned thirteen, I knew the woods   
  
better than I knew my own village. My father had insisted on teaching me to defend   
  
myself; he trained me to use fists and feet, the unarmed style of combat. It was just   
  
a passing whim to him. He had wanted a son to teach this to, but instead he was   
  
cursed with a daughter, and my mother became barren not long after my birth. In this   
  
way, I served as a substitute son for him, although he stopped teaching me by the time   
  
I was twelve. I suppose it was because I was female, and it was 'improper' for a female   
  
to be strong. I practiced anyway, though, and by the time I was thirteen I could have   
  
beaten any boy my age into the dust easily, and found uses for this talent on several   
  
occasions, making myself even more unpopular, though I had long stopped caring about   
  
that. My father had always been a role model to me, a hero. That was why   
  
I didn't pay heed to the strange way he began to stare at me.  
  
Most of the girls I had once known were now married. I didn't envy them.   
  
Their fathers gave them away to whoever would pay the most; their maidenhoods   
  
were sold to any man who had a few gold pieces, or a fat pig. I had seen them   
  
screaming and pleading with their fathers to not marry them to these disgusting   
  
men; in one case, a father held his kataana to his daughter's throat and forced   
  
her to accept the proposal.  
  
My father would never do this to me, I was certain. So I ignored the   
  
violent fights my parents always seemed to have on my account; I ignored the   
  
way father always seemed to be debating angrily with one of the aforementioned   
  
brutes over the price of some precious item, then bring the conversation to a   
  
close whenever I drew near. I was completely unsuspecting up until the point   
  
father called me to his side at a midsummer celebration. I stood before him   
  
expectingly, waiting for him to explain why I was needed.  
  
"Amaya," he said haltingly, nervously. "You know that most of the   
  
other maids of our village have now become wives and mothers."  
  
"Yes," I said, laughing, "And I have never seen a more miserable face   
  
than that of a married girl. Why do you speak of this, father?"  
  
He didn't smile back- his face was graver than I remembered seeing   
  
it. "You have started your monthly bleeding, haven't you?"  
  
I blushed furiously, but nodded, wondering where he was going with   
  
this. It was unheard of for a father to speak of these things to his daughter.  
  
"Good. You're ready, then."  
  
"Ready for what?"  
  
But he didn't answer me. He was already calling the rest of the   
  
villagers to attention. They stopped what they were doing, looking up   
  
interestedly. He called a large, ogreish man to his side, as I watched in   
  
confusion and apprehension, the man with a stupid smile plastered on his face.   
  
"Good people!" He called. "I am proud to announce to you, on this   
  
holy night, the marriage of my daughter, Amaya, to this Ojiko!" The crowd   
  
clapped politely and returned to their activities, as I stood, horrified, too   
  
stunned to speak. The disgusting Ojiko grinned at me and winked. It was   
  
then that I got my voice back.  
  
"F-Father!" I cried, fear in my eyes, pleading in my voice.   
  
He turned to me, and there was no pity in his expression, no regret   
  
for his only child. I realized then what my father had always been. I couldn't   
  
hide it from myself. The man I had looked up to and loved for my entire   
  
childhood was no different from the revolting men of the village that abused   
  
the miserable women that had once been innocent children.   
  
I turned and ran- Ojiko grabbed my arm and pulled me close, laughing.   
  
I cannot describe the hate and revulsion I felt in those few moments, as this   
  
man kept me held tight to him, the man that would take my childhood away,   
  
turn me into one of those poor souls that were so common throughout our   
  
village- crying in the doorways by day, and forced to give pleasure to the same   
  
men that beat them by night.   
  
I hit him as hard as I could with my elbow, a sharp jab into his stomach.   
  
He doubled over for a moment; he then went on to hit me with the back of his   
  
hand on the side of my face, leaving large, ugly bruises that would stay there for   
  
months. He then threw me aside, saying "Behave yourself, wench, and I may   
  
forgive you before our wedding night."   
  
I ran to my mother, crying, begging her to make everything better.   
  
She did nothing. She did her best to console me, saying that it wouldn't have   
  
to be as bad as I thought, but she needn't have bothered. I knew the truth as   
  
well as she did- My father had arranged for me to be raped by a sick brute,   
  
and my mother was too much of a coward to do anything to help. Terrified   
  
would be an understatement for the way I felt. There are no words for the   
  
way I felt- I had been used to being alone, and the mere thought of people   
  
scared me. Now I was being sent to the bed of a man that I barely knew.  
  
The more I thought of becoming a poor, helpless wretch like the   
  
other women of our village, the more the idea repulsed me. So I decided   
  
to run. I'm not proud of what I did. It made me feel like a coward, something  
  
I had vowed never to be, but I decided that this was better than the alternative,   
  
becoming like my mother.   
  
I took only what I could carry, and left my home the way I'd entered   
  
it- during the night, in the rain. I've never missed the village where I was   
  
born, strange as that may sound. Seeing my parents for what they really   
  
were erased any regret I may have felt; it hardened something in me,   
  
allowing me to see people for what they really are. I've avoided them ever   
  
since, cutting them away from me along with any emotions that I had left.   
  
People are disgusting. They hide their true natures behind masks of friendship   
  
and kindness, only to show their cruelty and cowardice when it is convenient   
  
for them. I have no plans for my future. I only wish to live in peace in the   
  
woods that I love. I have been wandering aimlessly for three years. I am   
  
not happy, but not sad, either. I am mortal, and I know that someday death   
  
and old age will come to claim me. I often find myself longing for that day.   
  
I now know that I will wander here until I die. Nothing can change that,   
  
can it?

Ok, end of intro. Please review! I'll update it soon!


	2. Uneasy Alliance

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Inuyasha, the graphic novels or the television show.

---------------------------------------------------------

Chapter One

Uneasy Alliance

Kagome lay on her back, gazing up at the cracks in the ceiling, still restless. She

was unable to sleep, even though it was so late that the pale light of dawn had begun to

creep into the sky. The small hut in Kaede's village always seemed to make some noise

as soon as she was ready to drift off; a branch would scratch against the sides, or she'd hear

the creaking noise of the house settling into the ground.

She sighed, knowing that she'd never get to sleep now, and rose to her feet slowly,

careful not to wake Shippo, who was sleeping by her side, and slipped outside, closing the

door behind her quietly.

She strode quickly toward the woods near the village. She wasn't sure where to go,

but needed to do something, anything, to shake off this restless feeling.

Branches scraped against her face and legs as she walked by. They almost seemed to

be blocking her way, making a type of barrier- but that was crazy. Kagome wandered blindly

through the dense woods, starting to regret this idea- by now she was more than a little lost,

and completely miserable from the chill air and the scrapes from the various branches and

thorns that harassed her. She was about to turn around and try to find her way back to the

village, when she emerged into a large clearing.

She had to stop and look- it was beautiful. Tall, majestic trees encircled it, their

immense branches reaching for the skies. Small flowers showed up here and there among

the tall grass, and a clear stream trickled through it, giving an air of peace to the place.

What drew her attention the most, though, was a willow tree at the end of the clearing. Its

branches bent over gracefully, just touching the ground, making a wall of the green leaves

hanging from them. Behind the leaves.. _Is that..._ _a girl?!_ She stepped closer, cautiously

pushing aside the screen of leaves.

Sure enough, a girl lay there, fast asleep. She must have been at least sixteen, but

the round shape of her face gave an innocent quality to her, making her look years younger.

Her long black hair was snarled and matted, and leaves and twigs were entangled in it- that,

and the fact that the clothes she wore were smeared with dirt, and covered in grass stains,

gave off the impression that she'd been traveling for some time. Kagome kneeled by her

side. The girl looked so helpless, so childlike, that she felt as though she should do

something for her.

She reached out and touched her cheek. "Hey... you okay?" she asked softly. The

girl's eyes flashed open, and Kagome jerked back in shock. Her eyes were blood red. She'd

never seen eyes like that before, unless they belonged to a demon. The girl didn't look any

less surprised- she sat up quickly, her eyes wide with fear. Without thinking, she reached

out and clamped one hand over Kagome's mouth. "What do you want from me?" she

demanded.

She stared back at Kagome for a moment, then slowly released her. "What is it you

want?" she repeated, her voice slightly softer, almost apologetic.

"N-Nothing," stammered Kagome. "That is, I was just-"

"Never mind." She glared at her suddenly. "Time for me to move on, I guess."

"Wait. I didn't mean anything, I just wanted to know if you were okay."

Another glare. "I didn't ask for your help."

"You don't have to be so rude, I was worried about you," said Kagome, a little

annoyed.

"No, you weren't. You don't even know me. There must be something else you want.

Whatever it is, I'm sure I can't help you with it. Now, leave. I've no time for you," she replied

in a dismissive tone. "If _you_ were able to find me, a youkai surely could." She got to her feet,

then looked behind her, her eyes lingering on Kagome's school uniform curiously. "That skirt is

unusually short... isn't it uncomfortable?"

"What?" Kagome said, a little surprised at the change in subject.

The strange girl nodded and blushed softly. "Don't worry, I understand now. You

must be a prostitute. Unfortunate, really, but nothing I can do about it."

Kagome blushed bright red, her eyes flaming with anger. "I AM NOT!" she shouted

at the top of her lungs. The stranger winced at the sudden sound.

Kagome glared at her so fiercely that she backed away from her slowly, holding

her hands out in front of her as if to protect herself. She opened her mouth to say

something, but it never came out. They both turned to look in the direction of the village.

There was the sound of someone running here. Fast. A hanyou dashed into the clearing,

stopping in front of Amaya. His enraged eyes were the last thing she saw before something

hit her, hard, and she blacked out.

Kaede knelt over the unconcious girl. "She'll be alright."

"Inuyasha, you didn't have to hit her so hard," said Kagome in a scolding tone.

"You didn't have to yell so loud," he snapped. "I could hear it all the way over

here."

Inuyasha had been sulking ever since they'd arrived at the village. After he'd

knocked out the strange girl, Kagome had yelled at him for attacking her- she hadn't

harmed anyone, she was innocent. She knew it was unfair to be angry with him since

he'd only been trying to protect her, and she felt like she should apologize, but she

hated to admit that she was wrong. Besides, it would only give him something else to

hold against her.

She glanced down at Amaya. "You're sure she's not-"

"She's human. I'd be able to tell if she wasn't."

"I know, but..." Kagome paused, troubled. "It's her eyes. I've never seen

anything like that before."

Her thoughts were interrupted when Amaya opened her eyes and sat up in a flash,

staring at them wildly. She put her hand near her belt, feeling for a dagger that wasn't there.

Kagome put her hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. Amaya pulled away and

scowled at them.

"Please, try to calm down. No one here is going to hurt ye," said Kaede in a calm

voice. "What is your name?"

Something inside the girl seemed to break- the defiant look in her eye was gone,

replaced by sorrow and insecurity.

"Amaya." She muttered, resigned.

"A lovely name," said Kaede, smiling reassuringly. "What village are you from?"

Amaya looked down and said nothing. They waited in vain for an answer. She

gave none.

"Why were you sleeping in the woods?" Asked Kagome, feeling a need to change

the subject.

"I don't have anywhere better to go."

"You could stay here," she said kindly.

Amaya opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and winced.

Kagome looked down at Amaya's stomach. Blood was gushing freely from a

wound there, and she had clamped her hand over it to try and stop the bleeding.

Kaede's eyes widened at this. "Oh-" she gasped. Amaya groaned. The miko

reached out to her, but she jerked away. "Amaya, that wound-"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, struggling to her feet. "I got in a fight with a youkai,

that's all. I bandaged it myself, and I can do it again. I don't need any help."

She staggered to the door, stepped outside, glanced back at Kaede

triumphantly, then fell forward, unconscious.

Several hours later, once Kaede had finished bandaging Amaya and Kagome

had succeeded in coaxing her to come outside, she was sitting by Sango and Miroku,

hugging her knees to her chest and listening to the conversation, but never joining in.

Kagome sat across from her, next to Inuyasha, who had only stopped sulking

when she had taken out the ramen he liked so much. Shippo sat on her lap, content,

joining her for the moment in staring at Inuyasha, who was occupied in stuffing as much

ramen into his face as he possibly could. Kagome struggled to suppress a laugh. _I never_

_knew anyone could eat that much ramen._ She was trying hard to keep a straight face,

when she heard a sound she'd never expected. Amaya had buried her face in her hands

and was laughing hysterically.

Inuyasha stopped eating for the moment, and looked up at her. "Mhuh?" His

voice was muffled from the large amount of noodles in his mouth.

Amaya didn't answer- she just laughed harder. Kagome smiled, desperately

trying to keep it in, then burst into giggles along with her. Sango, who was usually so

serious, eventually started laughing with them, twisting her face in her struggle to look

calm. Miroku laughed softly and covered his mouth with his hand, snickering and

trying to look composed.

Inuyasha stared at them all. "What's wrong with you?" He demanded rudely.

No one answered - they probably wouldn't have been able to if they tried. "What the

hell is so goddamn funny??"

Amaya buried her head in her lap, muffling her laughter, and shaking her head

violently.

"C'mon, tell me!! What's so funny?! Hey, you listening??"

Shippo smirked, and with a loud _pop_ turned himself into a mirror image of the

hanyou, his cheeks bulging with ramen, which succeeded in making everyone laugh even

harder. Inuyasha was not in the best of moods by the end of the day.

It was the next day. Kagome yawned and rubbed at her eyes. _Maybe I should've_

_tried harder not to laugh at Inuyasha._ Something had obviously been bothering him. He

woke them up early that morning, snapping at them that they'd wasted enough time

here and should go to look for shards of the Shikon no Tama.

She glanced at Amaya. The girl seemed to have completely forgotten her laughing

fit yesterday. She'd acted as though it had never happened, and snapped at Kagome

whenever she tried to bring it up. Now, Amaya was sitting on a bridge over a stream, staring

fixedly at her reflection in the water. Kagome stretched her arms briefly and walked over to

her, smiling.

"Hi."

No answer.

"We're leaving today to look for the Shikon shards," she continued cheerfully. "Do

you want to come with us?"

Amaya shook her head, still staring at her reflection as if she hardly recognized it.

After hours of work, and, she suspected, some magic, Kaede had managed to untangle

the girl's hair, and coax her into taking a bath. Amaya gazed at herself, confused. _Can that_

_really be me?_ She smiled, realizing that without the tangles in her hair and the dirt and grass

stains on her face, she actually looked pretty. Not beautiful, but not ugly, as she'd so long

believed.

Kagome looked at her for a moment, then said kindly, "Well, okay, but if you

change your mind we'd be glad to have you."

Amaya didn't answer. The same soft smile stayed on her face. She continued looking

into the water, as if Kagome had never been there.

Kagome sighed and got to her feet. _She's hopeless._ "Bye, then."

Amaya looked up to watch as Kagome joined the rest of her company, Inuyasha

looking impatient and annoyed and muttering "Finally" when Kagome reached him, Shippo

nodding off to sleep and complaining about the time, Sango struggling not to yawn as she

grasped her boomerang, waiting for her friend, and Miroku trying to get a good look down

Sango's kimono, until she realized what he was doing and brought Hiraikotsu down on his

head, hard.

She watched as they walked down the road, out of the village, talking cheerfully,

completely at ease with each other. They were out of her sight. She stared after them for a

long while, before cursing, standing up and walking after them, careful to keep enough

distance from them so that they wouldn't see her. _It's not like I really want to go. I'm just _

_curious._

_That's all,_ she convinced herself as she tightened her belt and followed them at a quick pace.


	3. Sinister Skies

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. Not liking how many times I've caught myself typing this.

--------------------------------------------

Chapter Two

Sinister Skies

Amaya watched the group's progress carefully, noting their strengths and

weaknesses, their personalities. She told herself it was so that if she ever had reason

to fight them she'd know what to do, but the truth was that she was beginning to

realize how miserably lonely she was.

Within a few days, she felt like she knew them. Her first impression of Inuyasha

was of a rude, self absorbed half demon. Sometimes, though, he let his guard down

and she saw something else. She saw the sadness in his eyes, when he thought that no one

was watching. She saw the way he cared for Kagome, although he denied it so much

it was really ridiculous. She felt she could relate to him a little bit.

She slept at a distance from their camp this time. The last thing Amaya wanted

was for one of them to find her, to let them know that she'd been following them.

She took off her cloak, rolling it up to make a kind of pillow, and curled up on the ground,

trying to fall asleep in spite of the feeling of dread that filled her.

Inuyasha sat rigidly in the branches of the large oak tree, glaring up at the

sky as if it was to blame for everything that had happened to him. No matter how much

he tried to banish it, the image of Kikyo returned to his mind. _That bitch... If I could _

_stop thinking about her for just once..._ He glanced down at Kagome. She really did look

like Kikyo. Was that why, that it hurt him so much to look at her, but it hurt even

more to look away?

He frowned, then turned his back on her and leapt to the branch of the next

tree, noiselessly. He kept going, wanting to get as far away from her as he possibly could,

just so that he wouldn't have to think. If he didn't think, he could get away from Kikyo,

at least for a little while.

Amaya opened her eyes. She could hear something. Something above her,

crashing through the trees. Careful not to make any sudden movements, she slowly

inched her hand toward her waist, grasping the handle of the long dagger she had

retrieved from the hut in Kaede's village. _What is it? _She trembled despite herself.

_Could it be a demon?_

Whatever it was was getting closer. She braced herself, waiting for it to

show itself.

Inuyasha froze in his place. He sniffed the air. _There's something down there..._

_It smells familiar._

He jumped down from the trees and landed on all fours.

Amaya couldn't muffle her shriek. It was so loud it surprised even her, not

to mention Inuyasha, who had suddenly landed directly in front of her.

In a flash, he'd grabbed her by the throat and lifted her above the ground.

"What the..." He scowled and dropped her. She landed roughly on her knees, then

glared up at him. "You're that girl from the forest. Feh! How disappointing," he

continued, oblivious to the fierce display of anger in her eyes.

"What in all hells..." she growled. "That's two times in the past five days

you've succeeded in throwing me to the ground! What did I do?!"

"What are you doing so close to our camp?"

She turned red and looked at the ground. "It's none of your concern. I happened

to be traveling this way and-"

"Feh! Yeah right! I smelled you more than once. I know you've been following

us. I ain't stupid."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he grabbed her arm, pulled her to her feet,

and started dragging her in the direction of the camp.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?"

He glared at her over his shoulder. "If you're gonna follow me around, you can

at least explain why."

She blanched. He couldn't have picked a worse punishment. _Oh, no,_ she thought

desperately. She could almost guess what they'd think of her now. She lowered her head

in shame and allowed him to pull her through the forest.

Kagome was less than happy when she was awakened at about three o' clock in

the morning by the loud noise of someone crashing through the undergrowth. She looked

up, annoyed, but forgot this when she saw Inuyasha standing there, dragging a blushing

Amaya behind him. "Amaya? What...."

Shippo sat up, yawning. He glared at Inuyasha, annoyed. "Hey, shit fer brains,

what're you doing waking us up so early??"

Sango stirred and sat up. She instinctively reached for her weapon, but realized

that there was no danger, only an annoyed hanyou and a shame-faced girl. "Wh-"

She was cut off suddenly. She jerked up and spun around angrily- Miroku had

reached out and groped her when her back was turned. She slapped him across the face,

hard. "You lech!" Snapped Sango angrily.

"Forgive me, Lady Sango. I must have been sleeping, and I-"

She snorted and sat down a distance away from him. Amaya and Shippo watched

this with confusion and almost fascination.

"What's Amaya doing here?" yawned Kagome, stretching and rubbing her eyes.

"This bitch 's been following us for days. I caught her scent in the forest."

"Hey!" said Amaya, startling them all. They'd been so used to her never speaking

up, that this outburst came as a surprise. "Hey," she repeated more quietly. "I have a

name, you know. It's Amaya. I would appreciate it if you would address me as that instead

of bitch."

"Yeah, Inuyasha," said Shippo, gleeful at any chance to tease him. "You could

at least try to be polite, especially to a girl."

Inuyasha growled, released Amaya, and raised his fist to pound the fox demon into

the ground.

"Sit!" said Kagome quickly.

Amaya watched in shock as the beads around Inuyasha's neck glowed for a split second,

before he slammed face-first into the ground.

"Does this happen often?" she asked curiously.

Sango put on a long suffering expression and nodded sadly. Meanwhile, Inuyasha had

recovered enough to push himself up off the ground and glare at Kagome. "Why you-!"

"You know, if you just tried to be less violent-"

Kagome was interrupted by the sound of wings, beating hard at the air.

They all looked up. Looking down at them from the sky was a fierce looking demon.

She was a female. Her skin was pale white- not the usual "white" skin with a

tinge of pink, but white like new fallen snow. Her eyes were a pale grey, and her hair,

pulled back from her face in a knot, was pale blue-silver. Emerging from her back were

two immense black wings, resembling a bat's.

"How disappointing," she said softly. "I went looking for the famous Inuyasha

and all I get is this mutt with his face in the dirt?"

He growled, got to his feet, and drew Tetsusaiga from its sheath. Amaya was

surprised to see the battered kataana transform into the huge, pulsing blade that Inuyasha

held so easily, but she didn't have much time to dwell on this.

Inuyasha leapt into the air, slashing violently at the demon- but she was now

behind him. She'd dodged his attack easily.

"Really, I was expecting something a bit more impressive."

He glared up at her. "Who the hell ARE you? What do you want with us?!"

She smiled. "My name is Shihya. I am a shadow demon. And I'd be more

than happy to answer your next question. I'm here to kill you all and help myself

to your Shikon shards."


	4. Out of the Shadows

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha.

---------------------------------------

Chapter Three

Out of the Shadows

Amaya grasped the hilt of her dagger instinctively, although she wasn't

at all sure what good it would do against this demon. Shihya glanced down at

her, and casually waved her hand. A shadow flowed from her outstretched palm,

engulfing Amaya, Kagome, Shippo, Sango and Miroku. Sango, who had been

holding Hiraikotsu firmly, ready to throw, suddenly shuddered, gasped, and

collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Miroku tried to go to her side, but fell

under the same spell that had taken over Sango. One by one, they all collapsed

to the ground, until the only ones left standing were Inuyasha and Shihya.

"You- you bitch-" growled Inuyasha.

"Now, we'll not have that," said Shihya calmly. "Anyway, it really

wouldn't be fair if it was six against one, would it?" she turned her pale face

towards Kagome's. "Tch, tch... mating with a human whore, Inuyasha? I'd

really hoped that it was just a rumor..."

"Shut up!" cried Inuyasha, leaping into the air to swing Tetsusaiga at

Shihya again. Shihya gasped- the half demon had cut into her pale skin, leaving

an open wound that blood flowed freely from.

Inuyasha smirked up at her triumphantly. "Heh! Not so big now, are you?!"

Shihya glared at him. "It will take more than that to kill me, you whelp!"

She dove towards Inuyasha with surprising speed, her large black wings folded

across her back. She extended long, silver claws from her fingers and dug them into

his face, making red gashes on his smooth skin.

He groaned and put his hand to his cheek. _She's like some sort of cat_... he thought.

_I don't like cats._

He focused all of his strength into Tetsusaiga, silently calling on the Wind Scar.

She won't escape this one. He flew straight up at her, throwing the full force of the

Scar of Wind at the shadow demon. She gave a sort of sigh and seemed to vanish into

the breeze, leaving not a trace, no sign that she had ever been there.

"Feh!" muttered Inuyasha, landing carefully on the ground by the sleeping

Kagome. "What a pushover.."

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha spun around to face Shihya, who stood behind him, looking as though

nothing had ever happened to her.

"Fool!" She hissed through clenched teeth, her voice bitter, sounding almost

as though she were on the verge of tears. "A shadow demon is just that- a shadow.

How do you kill a shadow? How do you kill what isn't there?"

Shihya came at him with terrible fury, violently swinging her claws and

opening numerous wounds on his face and neck. "You think you can defeat me? Me?!

I'll collect your head, you filthy half breed!"

Inuyasha fought back, but he was losing fast. Shihya was faster than any demon

he'd ever fought in his life. _Damnit, Myouga... Where are you when I need you?!_

Meanwhile, where Amaya lay unconscious on the ground, a small flea demon

stirred and leaped to her side, jumping onto her cheek. It sank its tiny fangs into her

pale skin. She twitched and abruptly slapped the side of her face with her hand and

opened her eyes.

"What..." she muttered, sitting up slowly and staring at the flea lying flat on

the ground.

To her surprise, it got to its feet, jumped up, and started talking to her quickly.

"Amaya! Hurry. You must tell Inuyasha-sama-"

"Whoa... wait a minute," she said confusedly, shaking her head.

It sighed. "We don't have time for this. Listen closely. My name is Myouga.

I am Inuyasha's advisor-"

"If you're his advisor, shouldn't you be with him right now?" asked Amaya

skeptically, glancing at Inuyasha with concern.

Myouga paused, muttered something incoherent, and then shook his head and

continued. "How can you be thinking of something so unimportant at a time like this?

Listen. Shihya is a shadow demon. Inuyasha will not be able to defeat her, do you

understand? Shadow demons are very unique creatures. They cannot be killed by other

demons. They can only be killed by humans, because humans are what they were

born of. They are nothing more than humans whose hearts were corrupted."

"Alright," said Amaya, trying to absorb this. "So... how do we kill them?"

"I think that should be obvious," replied Myouga. "You'll have to do it."

"WHAT?" she cried in disbelief.

"Don't worry, Amaya-san," said Myouga as he tied a knapsack to his back

and prepared to walk off. "Just believe in yourself, I have the utmost faith in you

and Inuyasha."

"Why you-" she said, but Myouga was already gone. "Damnit..." she muttered.

She reached for her dagger and drew it, still unsure if there was anything she could

do with it. "Well, I see I have no choice..."

Amaya edged closer to Inuyasha and Shihya, who were locked in fierce combat.

She watched their fight carefully, trying to see if she could find any weaknesses that

she could use against Shihya. It was in vain- the shadow demon fought flawlessly,

carelessly deflecting any and all of Inuyasha's attacks. I'll just wait for my chance, then.

She inched closer and closer to them, awaiting her chance. Once she's close

enough, I'll just.... thought Amaya, but her thoughts were interrupted suddenly.

Shihya must have sensed her presence, because she turned instantly to face

Amaya and glared at her fiercely. "You wench! Spying on me? I'll kill you first!"

Amaya winced and braced herself, but the blow never came. Inuyasha jumped

in front of her and swung his fist at Shihya, catching her off guard. "Your opponent is

me, bitch!"

The young human looked up in surprise. Inuyasha just.. protected me? she

thought in amazement. She quickly regained her composure. No time for that.

She ran out into the open, forgetting all stealth. It didn't matter anyway- Shihya

was completely distracted by Inuyasha.

Amaya held up her dagger and waited for the opportune moment. It came

just in time- Inuyasha, with an unusual display of strength, hit Shihya hard, knocking

her off balance, sending her sprawled onto the ground at her feet. Amaya cringed,

tightened her grip on the dagger, and drove it straight into the shadow demon's

heart, trying desperately not to think about it as the dagger slowly sank through

Shihya's chest, black blood leaking out from the open wound.

She looked straight into Shihya's eyes for a moment, and the demon looked

up at her, her eyes pained but relieved at the same time. "Thank you...." she

whispered softly, then sighed and lay still, dead, her body quickly

becoming nothing more than a pile of ashes that blew away in a slight breeze.

I understand now... thought Amaya, feeling a warm tear slowly make its

way down her cheek. She came here... not for the Shikon shards, but because

she wanted to die. I understand that, because that is what I want as well...

"....The hell?"

She looked up, startled out of her reverie. "Huh?" Inuyasha was staring

at her in shock, along with Sango, Miroku, and Kagome, who had apparently

been awake for a while now. Shippo didn't seem to have noticed- he was busy

teasing Kirara and trying hard to avoid her claws.

"Um...." Amaya stared back at them all, blushing slightly- she had

never liked attention much. "Heh... sorry?"

An hour later, Amaya sat by a fire next to Kagome and Miroku, Shippo

sitting quietly in her lap, Sango across from her with Kirara perched on her

shoulder, listening intently, and Inuyasha perched in the branch of a tree, trying

hard to look like he wasn't interested in the conversation at hand.

"So then I just.... waited for the best opportunity, and...." Amaya trailed

off, making a brief stabbing motion with her hand, still blushing from all the

attention she was getting.

"Wow," said Kagome, obviously impressed.

"Really, I don't deserve any credit. Inuyasha was the one doing all the

fighting, after all. He was incredible."

"Keh!" Muttered Inuyasha, pretending he wasn't enjoying the praise.

"Still, that was really brave of you," said Sango.

"Yes," said Miroku. "You seem like a very good person, Amaya. I get

the feeling that you're the kind of friend someone could trust."

"Th-thanks," stuttered Amaya, flustered.

"Not at all. You don't need to thank me for telling the truth."

Amaya grinned and blushed again.

"Ah, Amaya-chan," murmured Sango, worried, knowing what was coming

next.

"In that case, could I ask you a favor, Amaya?" Miroku continued.

"Certainly, ask anything," she replied, grinning cheerfully.

"Will you.... bear my child?"

"WILL I WHAT?" She shrieked, startling them all with her response.

Kagome jumped, Shippo started and jumped off her lap, and Kirara hissed, mewed

and went to hide behind a surprised- looking Sango.

Amaya was reminded suddenly of the men of the village. She glared at

Miroku, feeling her eyes wet with tears, hating him for reminding her of the past,

and hating herself for reacting like this. She got to her feet and stormed off,

walking at first, and then running once she got further away. The tears were

coming now. She wiped them away and kept running. I have to keep running.

If I keep running then I won't think. If I don't think I won't cry. She repeated this

to herself as if it were a chant. "Don't stop, don't think, don't cry. Don't stop,

don't think, don't cry. Don't stop, don't think, don't....."

Back at the camp, Sango slowly rose to her feet and walked off in the

direction Amaya had gone in. "I'll go after her," she said. She paused by

Miroku. "Miroku, this is in case I forget." She quickly took Hiraikotsu off her

back and brought it down hard on his head.

Amaya stopped by a stream, panting. I completely overreacted, she

thought miserably. How can I show my face to them now?

She sank down to her knees and looked at her reflection in the stream.

The girl looking back at her was so different from the one she had seen by the

bridge in Kaede's village. Is it possible that I actually smiled then? she wondered,

looking at her tear stained face sadly.

She glanced up, hearing someone nearby, walking slowly, gracefully.

Sango was coming towards her, a friendly expression on her face. The young

slayer knelt by Amaya and squeezed her hand. "I apologize for Miroku," she

said softly. "He always acts that way."

Amaya smiled. "It wasn't him... mostly... it's just that he reminded

me of something that I would prefer not to think about. I'm fine now."

"I see," Sango replied. "Will you be coming back with me, then?"

She looked up in surprise. "You want me to?"

"Of course," said Sango, smiling. "I consider you my friend.. I'm not

wrong, am I?"

Amaya beamed, feeling happier than she'd felt in years. "No," she

said. "You're not wrong."

She allowed Sango to help her to her feet and lead her back to the

camp.


	5. Face to Face with the Nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha, the television show

or the graphic novels.

-------------------------------------

Chapter Four

Face-to-Face with the Nightmare

"Kagome..." _I can hear him... calling me... he's hurt..._

Kagome was lost in a world of shadows. Nothing was stable. Everything

seemed fake, becoming dust and blowing away whenever she got close, like

Shihya had when...

But I can't think about that now.... The only thing Kagome knew was that

Inuyasha was in this godsforsaken place. He needed her. "I'm coming," she called,

her voice echoing strangely in the emptiness. Inuyasha, where are you.....

"Kagome." She spun around. Inuyasha was there, looking back at her. He

was wounded badly, his chest and stomach were bleeding freely.

"Inuyasha, you're hurt-"

He cut her off. "That's not important anymore.. I just... I needed to tell

you that-"

"You snore."

"SIT BOY!!!!"

Kagome's shout echoed through the forest. That, coupled with the

sound of Inuyasha falling face-first into the dirt, and the sound of his swearing

at Kagome, followed by several more "sits" was enough to wake up everyone

within a five-mile radius.

Amaya groaned and rubbed the side of her head. "Damn…." She

muttered. "Couldn't this have waited until later? For example, when it's

light out?"

She was ignored, of course. Shippo sat down next to her. "Don't

bother. I've seen them go on like this for days."

"How long is it going to take for them to see what's right in front

of their eyes?"

Shippo just shrugged and went back to watching the fight, his eyes

gleaming with amusement.

"PERVERT!!!" They turned to see an enraged Sango glowering at

Miroku, who had a large, red hand-shaped bruise on his face. "LECHEROUS

MONK!!!"

"I swear, Lady Sango, I don't know what happened. My hand

must have slipped, and-"

"HAH!!!" Sango stormed away, muttering to herself.

"Sango, wait-" Miroku got to his feet and chased after her.

Amaya slowly turned to face Shippo. The young fox demon's

face was frozen in shock, his mouth hanging open.

They both turned back to Inuyasha and Kagome, who were still

arguing at the top of their lungs, obviously not noticing the conflict between

Sango and Miroku.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR??!!!"

"LIKE YOU HAVE TO ASK! YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!!!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"IDIOT!!!! IDIOTIDIOTIDIOT!!!"

"STUPID WENCH!!!"

"MORON!!!!"

"BITCH!!!"

"SIT, SIT, SIT!"

"OW!!! DAMN YOU!"

"Uh…." Amaya turned back to Shippo. "Are things always this….

interesting with them?"

Shippo gave her a dark look. "You should see them when

they _really _start fighting."

"Shippo?"

"Yeah?"

"Sometimes I think you're the most mature person here."

"Amaya?"

"What?"

"Popcorn?"

Amaya wandered over to the stream she'd run to the night before, still chuckling to herself. It is true, though, she thought to herself, amused. Compared to them, Shippo is the only mature one there.

That 'popcorn' stuff was really good, though. It made her wonder what else Kagome's world had to offer. The future? What is Japan like in the future, anyway? She thought. She'd tried asking Kagome, but all she got was a, "Um, well, you know, it's got like cars, and television, and… machines."

What the hell was a 'television'?!

She shook her head. Kagome's world must be weird.

Her musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. She looked up. A child's footsteps, sounded like. Someone with light footsteps was coming this way, right for her. No, that was wrong. Whoever it was was skipping. And singing. _Definitely a child._

A small girl emerged into the clearing before her, stopping short when she saw the stranger. She looked about four or five, and was wearing a rather tattered dress.

"Hello," Amaya said kindly, not wanting to alarm the girl. "What brings a young girl like you all the way out here? It's dangerous to wander alone, you know."

The girl relaxed, hearing the friendly tone to Amaya's voice. "I'm not alone," she said cheerfully. "My lord is nearby."

Amaya smiled. What an adorable girl. "I'm glad. My name is Amaya, what's yours?"

"I'm Rin," she said brightly.

Amaya frowned. Rin… wasn't that the name of the little human girl who followed Inuyasha's brother around? Half-brother, she added silently.

"I must be going, my lord will be worried about me," added Rin, before skipping off to find her "lord".

"Wait," said Amaya, suddenly concerned for the child's safety. From what she had heard about Sesshomaru, she guessed that he was a very dangerous demon. Why would a human girl be following him? What was he going to do to her, anyway?

"Rin!" she called, but the girl was already out of hearing range. Amaya cursed and got to her feet, chasing after the girl.

It wasn't really a problem tracking her. She could now clearly hear the child skipping and singing ahead of her. "Rin!" She called again, but got no answer. "Damnit!"

She finally heard the girl stop, so she quickened her pace and almost slammed into her when she did catch up. "Rin, didn't you hear me? Listen, it's about your lord. I think that-"

She stopped short. Standing right in front of her, his eyes narrowed, hand on the hilt of his sword, was a demon that must be none other than Sesshomaru.


	6. Koga

Chapter Five

Koga

Deep in the heart of the forest, the wolf demon Koga ran at full speed toward

the scent of Sesshomaru. He'd been tracking the demon for two days, since… Can't

think about that. Don't think about the wolves lying there, dead, in a pool of their own

blood.. Definitely not going to think about Sesshomaru standing there, that damn

smirk on his face.

_Damnit!_

--------------------------------

Shippo sat on the ground, playing half-heartedly with a few acorns. Every

now and then, he looked up from his activities with a vaguely annoyed expression.

The reason for this was not difficult to guess.

The small kitsune sighed, resigned, and leaned back against a tree. He

glanced over to his left to watch Sango argue furiously with Miroku. It seemed to

be dying down somewhat, but then, you could never tell when Miroku would do

something perverted to ruin it.

"Please believe me, Sango, when I tell you how truly sorry I am." Miroku's

voice sounded truly sincere.

"Really?" Asked Sango, looking at him in surprise.

"Of course," Said the lecherous monk. "You mean so much to me, Sango.

I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

Sango looked truly touched. Her beautiful eyes were brimming with tears.

Of course, then-

SLAP.

Sango glared daggers at Miroku, who was smiling, unperturbed, and holding

a hand to the red mark on his cheek. "Worth it every time."

Shippo rolled his eyes. _I wish Amaya were here. It was nice having_

_ someone sane around for once._

Inuyasha and Kagome weren't much better, but at least they were quiet.

Inuyasha was currently lying back in a nearby tree, sulking and pretending not

to notice Kagome.

Kagome sat by Shippo, holding an annoyed looking Kirara in her lap and

pretending not to notice Inuyasha. The girl scratched behind Kirara's ears and

petted her, seemingly oblivious to Kirara's angry mews. The cat struggled to get

away, but Kagome didn't loosen her grip. This resulted in a loud "MROWR" and

a hiss, and several violent scratches.

"OW!" Shrieked Kagome, grabbing her injured hand. Kirara flattened

her ears and hissed, her tail twitching in agitation.

"What did you do to Kirara?" Snapped Sango, who wouldn't normally

have snapped at Kagome, but was still a bit on edge after Miroku's 'activities'.

"You must have done something, or she wouldn't have scratched." Kirara leaped

onto her shoulder and hissed at Kagome.

"I didn't do anything, your stupid cat attacked me out of nowhere!"

Shippo groaned and lay back, listening to yet another argument erupt

around him. This was why he was the only one who heard the urgent voice

coming from somewhere near his ear.

"Shippo-chan!" It hissed. "SHIPPO-CHAN!"

"Ah!" Shippo jumped and gave a yell of surprise, before looking

down to see an annoyed Myouga looking up at him. "About time!" Snapped

the flea.

"Oh, it's just you, Myouga-jiji." Shippo gave a sigh of relief. "Took

you awhile to get back this time. Where'd you run off to, exactly?"

Myouga glared at him furiously. "For your information, I was

simply scouting ahead!"

"Of course," Said Shippo sarcastically.

"Th…That's beside the point!" Snapped Myouga. "This is important!

Something bad may have happened to Amaya!"

"What?" Said Shippo, concern flooding his large, innocent eyes.

"She met up with Sesshomaru, and…"

"Sesshomaru?!" Shippo cried in surprise. "How…" He paused, a

skeptical look entering his face. "How do you know that?"

Myouga looked down, embarrassed. "Well, you see, I happened to

be nearby, and… Really nothing I could do, you see…"

"So basically, you just sat there and watched?" Asked the kitsune

angrily.

"STOP TALKING ABOUT SUCH TRIVIAL THINGS!"

-------------------------------------------

"Please, I can just-" Amaya stuttered nervously, backing away.

Sesshomaru drew a sword from its sheath at his waist. "Keep

your noise to yourself and I'll kill you quickly."

Amaya winced and braced herself for the killing blow, but it didn't

come. She looked up in confusion. Sesshomaru was looking past her, a

slightly annoyed expression in his otherwise emotionless eyes.

She turned and saw a wolf demon- an angry one- standing behind

her, glaring fiercely at Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru, you bastard," Snapped the demon. "I'll kill you for

what you did you did to our pack."

"Koga," Replied Sesshomaru. "How amusing." He

turned to Amaya. "I'll just kill this wench before we get started."

Koga growled and charged, shoving Amaya roughly to the side. She

cried out as she hit the ground hard, squeezing her eyes shut tight and hugging

herself.

She opened her eyes slowly, backing away from the scene of the

fight to watch. Amaya knew of wolf demons. She knew them well. She

knew of their close connection to the animals they were named for, and

she also knew how ruthlessly they dealt with humans. Tales of horrible

slaughters at poor villages by wolf demons and their pets had reached her

ears often. _So I'll most likely be treated the same way. Still… I think_

_ I'd have a better chance with Koga than with Sesshomaru._

Not that Amaya had much say in the matter. All she could do was

sit and watch and pray for what she hoped was the less dangerous demon.

Koga lunged at Sesshomaru, but the demon evaded him easily,

and extended what looked like a whip made of light from his index finger.

He brought it down on Koga in a quick, violent slashing movement, his

eyes remaining as emotionless as ever. The dog demon hardly seemed to

notice the pain he had inflicted on his opponent, who hardly had time to

cry out before Sesshomaru was once again at him, attacking him ruthlessly

and without a sign of remorse.

Amaya gasped and covered her eyes with her hands, peeking through

gaps between her fingers from time to time and wincing with every new

scream from Koga.

The fight seemed to drag on forever, and she was surprised that

Koga was still alive, after all of this. Amaya was about ready to give up hope,

when the sounds of battle stopped suddenly. She lowered her hands slowly-

she'd been hiding her face in them for a good part of the fight now.

Koga lay on the ground, panting and coughing, covered in his own

blood, which was flowing freely from several open wounds on his battered

body. Amaya cringed, glancing apprehensively at an amused looking Sesshomaru

out of the corner of her eye.

Sesshomaru was, for the most part, unharmed. Koga had managed

to get in a few good hits, but he was really no match for the dog demon. He

stood over his fallen opponent, raising one eyebrow skeptically.

"So after all that, you were really so easy to defeat, Koga?" He smirked.

"How disappointing."

"Sh…Shut the hell up," Said Koga through clenched teeth, clutching

at an open wound on his chest.

"I may as well put you out of your misery and be done with it,"

Sesshomaru continued apathetically. "But maybe I'll have some fun with you

first. He raised one clawed hand, which, to Amaya's shock, started to glow

green. "Behold the power of my poison claw, Koga…" He said mockingly.

"You'll be feeling it all too well in a matter of minutes."

Sesshomaru kneeled down by Koga slowly, stretching out his hand.

Amaya, realizing something, began to search the scene of the battle frantically.

While all this had been going on… where was Rin?!

The small child was nowhere to be seen. _Oh, God… What if…_

_ What if something happened to her?_ Her eyes darted about nervously,

when she heard a loud sound coming from behind her somewhere in the

bushes. Amaya spun around to see an annoyed looking toad demon trying to drag

a determined Rin away from the scene of the battle.

"Get away from here, you stupid girl! Lord Sesshomaru-sama said

to keep you away from the damned… fight…!"

"I wanna help!" Protested Rin, edging closer.

_Thank God_…Thought Amaya, relieved. _She's alright_.

Sesshomaru didn't seem so pleased about this. He stopped and

got to his feet in one graceful movement, his hand turning back to its

usual color. "Rin," He said, his cold voice displaying an unusual amount

of anger. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Amaya watched him walk over to the girl's side, and, seeing that

he was, for the moment, distracted, decided that the time had come to

seize her chance.

She crawled on all fours over to a now unconscious Koga and

shook him gently. "Come on, Koga-kun," She whispered. Although

she hardly knew him, she felt as though he was her only chance of

surviving, her only friend out here. After glancing over at Sesshomaru

briefly to make sure he was still distracted, she shook the wolf demon's

shoulder again, saying softly, "Come on, I know you can do this… don't

die on me, alright? Come on…" But Koga remained unconscious. Amaya

looked down on him in sympathy. He was pale by now from loss of

blood, and his forehead was burning with fever, probably because of

Sesshomaru's poison claw. "Come on…" She repeated, a tear slowly

making its way down her cheek.

"Are you quite finished?" Asked a cold voice from somewhere

near her shoulder. She shrieked and jumped back, now face to face with

an angry Sesshomaru, who had apparently been watching her in mild

amusement for some time now. "Good," He said quietly. "Then I can

get back to this. Watch carefully, girl. I think I'll do the same to you

afterwards."

Sesshomaru smirked at her and reached down his hand, extending

five very deadly looking claws. Amaya watched helplessly. Koga would

die, and then she'd be killed just as mercilessly, unless…_Unless I do something_

_ that he doesn't expect…_ She grasped the hilt of her dagger tightly.

But… She thought in despair. What could I possibly do to him?

She knew she'd have to try. Slowly, Amaya drew the long dagger

from its sheath, and almost cried out in surprise when she saw the blade.

It was black. Not only that, it looked like something was moving under

it, like… like runes, or words, or something. But she had no time to

think of that. Sesshomaru had looked over at her, his eyes curious, or

as curious as they could look- Sesshomaru was not one to show many

emotions.

Without thinking, Amaya raised her hand and stabbed the

dagger into the demon's shoulder. She half expected it to glance off, but to

her amazement, it buried itself in his shoulder up to the hilt.

Sesshomaru cried out in pain and surprise, pulling the blade

out of him and throwing it to the ground as if it were a poisonous

snake. "What magic is this…?" He hissed through clenched teeth.

Amaya grabbed the dagger and got to her feet, holding it

out in front of her threateningly, carefully maneuvering herself

so that she was between Koga and Sesshomaru.

"Take one step closer, and I'll kill you," She snapped,

knowing how much of a lie this was, but hoping he would fall

for it anyway.

Sesshomaru glared at her, then looked uneasily at the

knife. He stepped back toward Jaken and Rin. "I'll come back

for you, mortal. And when I do…" His eyes narrowed. "When

I do, I will be prepared for you." Having said this, the demon

abruptly vanished, taking a concerned Rin along with him. Oddly

enough, Jaken seemed to have been forgotten.

The toad demon looked about in bewilderment, before

dashing off after his master frantically.

"W…W…Wait for me Sesshomaru-sama!"

Amaya sank down to her knees, clutching the blade close,

and eyeing it nervously. "What could have happened to it?" She

wondered aloud. An image flashed into her mind, uncalled for-

Shihya lying on the ground, dying, a dagger buried in her chest,

her blood soaking the blade… "Is it possible?" Amaya asked herself

quietly. "That because I killed Shihya, my dagger has become…

this?"

She shook her head quickly, remembering Koga, who

was still sleeping as if he was dead. Her eyes filled with concern,

Amaya proceeded to lift the demon onto her back, groaning

with the effort she was having to put into carrying him- Amaya

was used to hard work, having taken care of herself for three

long years, but she was fairly certain that Koga was the heaviest

thing she'd lifted yet.

She sighed and trudged off in a random direction she

prayed was the right one. "It doesn't have to be THE exact

direction that Kagome and the others are in," She said aloud.

"Just as long as there's someplace I can… Urgh… Someplace

I can find some sort of shelter…" She had to pause to gasp

for breath. "Someplace… Where I can… Ugh… Put… this…

down…!"

----------------------------

Author's Note: Alrighty! There it is! Sorry Chapter Five took so long, but things have been pretty hectic lately, and I've only had time to work on it just recently. I'll be going out of town for three weeks on Tuesday. Dodges rocks I know, I know. I promise to work on it while I'm gone, but it won't be up here for a while.

Okee dokee, this is the part where I answer reviewers!

LostArtist: Hi, and thanks so much! Congratulations on being the only person on fanfiction.net to review my story so far... ((Glares at other members visciously..)) Heheh... I won't be able to update as soon as I'd like because I'll be out of town, but I'll work on it as much as I can away from home.


	7. Shelter Or Something

Chapter Six

"Shelter"… Or Something

"Are you sure this is where you saw them?"

"For the last time, Inuyasha-sama, yes!" Myouga cried,

exasperated, to the annoyed hanyou.

They'd been searching for signs of Amaya and Sesshomaru

for hours, but had found nothing, and it was grating on everyone's

nerves.

"Can't he just find her trail or something?" Shippou asked.

The kitsune was exhausted, hungry, and soaked through from all the

rain. Kagome sighed. "Shippou, the rain washed away any signs of

her. Without the trail, InuYasha has nothing to go on, especially

since she's obviously so far away by now."

"THAT AIN'T HELPIN'!" InuYasha snapped, enraged at

this feeling of helplessness. "Damn, why do we have to look for

the wench, anyway? It's her own fault she got lost…"

"InuYasha…" Kagome said coldly, making the hanyou wince

when he realized what he'd said. Kagome was as miserable as the

rest of them, and worried sick about Amaya. It was making her irritable,

and… "SIT."

WHAM.

…He was going to be feeling it very keenly.

----------------------------------

Amaya clutched her chest, breathing hard. She was so out of

breath that she felt sure her lungs would burst. She glanced over to

the side and looked Kouga over concernedly. He actually seemed like

he might pull through- apparently, she'd managed to get him away from

Sesshomaru before the demon could get enough poison in him to kill him,

but he was still unconscious, had been ever since she'd started carrying him.

But he'd be all right… Wouldn't he? Youkai were stronger than

humans. He'd have to be all right. Amaya reached over and put the back

of her hand to his forehead. Fever… But not as bad as before. Youkai healed

faster. He'd be all right. Because if he wasn't… If he didn't survive… Then

what?

She sighed and lay down by the mouth of the shallow cave she'd

found for a shelter. It wasn't the most comfortable of places, but it kept

them semi-dry, and it was the best she'd been able to find.

Amaya closed her eyes and shivered, clutching her cloak tight

about her. It was so cold…

Amaya was awake. She couldn't open her eyes, though. If she

opened her eyes, she'd have to admit that she was awake, and she'd have

to start moving. She didn't want to start moving, because somehow…

In spite of all the wet and cold… She felt warm. She felt loved, as if

someone she knew was holding her. It must have been some remainder

of a dream, however, because nobody loved her. Not that way.

She drifted back off to sleep, unaware that she was, in fact,

lying in Kouga's arms. At some point during her sleep, she'd instinctively

sought out the closest source of warmth- which was, of course, Kouga.

Amaya's head was leaned against his chest, and her arms were around his

neck- and Kouga was holding her close to him, resting his chin on the top

of her head. To anyone passing by, they could have been lovers, sleeping

in eachother's arms. It was a peaceful scene. A beautiful scene. It was an

extremely misleading prelude to what was about to happen in a few minutes,

when the young Amaya really did wake up.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" The scream echoed throughout the woods,

sending birds flying off from their trees, sending animals running off in panic.

It was enough, even, to awake Kouga.

"Whuh…?" Was all the wolf demon managed to say. What the

hell was happening…?

"HENTAI!" Amaya snapped furiously, glaring at him, her eyes

narrowed into slits. "HENTAI BAKA!!"

"What?" Kouga snapped back. "What the hell are you talking

about?" He stopped, realizing the situation they'd just been in. "Oh…"

He mumbled, a tinge of pink entering his cheeks.

"Look," He said angrily. "It wasn't like I was trying anything-"

SLAP.

"Ow! Damn!" Kouga nursed a large, pink, hand-shaped mark

on his cheek. Where did a human girl learn to hit like that?!

"Will you listen to me for one second?!" He demanded.

Amaya glared at him fiercely, but nodded coldly after a moment.

"Listening," She said icily.

"I don't know what's going on, but I swear I wasn't trying anything!"

He said indignantly. "I don't even know who you are! I just woke up and I

was here!" Speaking of which… "How did I get here? And where is that bastard

Sesshomaru?!"

"Typical," Amaya snorted, looking away.

"What?"

"That's so like a man," She said, sniffing.

"What do you mean?" Kouga asked, confused.

"The first thing you think of is fighting. That's all you think of! You're

not even concerned about the fact that you could have died, and you didn't even

thank me for saving your life!" She said, looking slightly hurt.

"How could a girl like you save MY life?!" He demanded.

Amaya looked at him with mixed rage and hurt, her eyes blazing. "Oh,"

She hissed, getting to her feet and storming off.

"Hey, wait! Where d'you think you're going?" He called, trying to get

up and follow her, but gasping and sinking back down to the ground when

he felt the sharp pain in his side. Kouga looked down, seeing that his

wounds had all been bandaged carefully, and they barely hurt at all compared to

what he had felt when fighting Sesshomaru. A twinge of guilt tugged at him. So

this girl actually had saved his life… _I'll have to repay her somehow,_ He thought.

"Wait!" He called louder. "Please."

Amaya stopped and turned slowly, raising one eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes?" She asked coldly.

Kouga took a deep breath. He hated having to admit he was wrong,

especially to a lowly human, but… "I'm sorry. I really am. You were kind

to tend my wounds when I had done nothing for you, and I…" He bit his

lip. "I need your help," He admitted reluctantly.

Amaya looked him over, then smiled softly and returned to his side,

sinking down to the ground next to him. "Apology accepted," She said kindly.

"I'm sorry for slapping you," She added after a moment's thought.

--------------------------

"Houshi-sama…"

"Yes, Sango?" Miroku replied, yawning slightly. It was too early,

he decided. Much, much too early.

"I'm worried about Amaya," She said softly, tugging at a lock of

her ebony black hair.

Miroku looked back at her sadly. He hated seeing her like this…

Above all, he wanted her to be happy. _That would probably be a better way_

_ of expressing my feelings for her than rubbing my hand against her bottom,_ He

thought absently, then shook his head and returned his attention to the crisis at hand.

"I am worried about her as well," He replied. "But Amaya-sama

seems like she can take care of herself."

"I know," Sango said, smiling. Her smile faded quickly, however.

"But, against Sesshomaru… If he did something to her…"

"Sango-sama," Miroku said gently, clutching one of her hands in

his. "We will find her. I promise."

The slayer looked up at him in surprise, feeling a rush of excitement

when he touched her. Why couldn't he be like this all the time…?

"Oi! You two!"

They both jumped and backed away from each other quickly,

putting their hands behind their backs and turning to stare, wide-eyed,

at InuYasha.

"We're going," He snapped, turning and walking back towards

the place where they had made camp.

"Going where?" Miroku asked, following after him.

"To find Sesshomaru."

------------------

"There. That should stop the itching."

"Thanks," Kouga replied, smiling.

Amaya just looked back at him, then looked away quickly,

her cheeks burning. She'd been helping Kouga with his bandaging, but

for that to be possible, he had to take off his shirt.

_Don't look at his chest. It's disgusting. It's something a man would do._

However, she couldn't help but notice how well muscled he was. _No!_

Amaya looked down, blushing even more deeply than before, and feeling

her heartbeat speed up. Kouga was… Handsome. Very handsome. All

of the men in her village put together couldn't compare with him. _I must_

_ not think that… Don't think, don't think, don't think…_

"Something wrong?" Kouga asked curiously, pulling his shirt back

on.

"No, nothing," Amaya said quickly, her eyes darting to his face

and then away again.

"Okay…" He said doubtfully, leaning back against the walls of

the cave.

"Kouga," She said, feeling that they needed to change the subject.

"Yeah?"

"Where is your pack?" Amaya asked shyly.

"At our den, I guess," He replied, shrugging carelessly.

"And… Why were you going after Sesshomaru?" She asked

hesitantly.

Kouga stiffened and glared at her. Amaya widened her eyes and

backed away quickly, looking at him nervously.

The wolf demon sighed and sat back. "Sesshomaru made an attack

on our den," He said gruffly. "Killed a bunch of wolves, and some of the

pack, as well…" He looked down.

"I am so sorry," Amaya cried, coming closer and putting her hand

on his arm. "Forgive me. I should not have asked."

Kouga looked up at her slowly, blinking in surprise. She was

actually concerned about him. Her eyes… She looked like she might start

crying. For him.

"Uh…" He said awkwardly. "Don't be sorry. It's not like you

did anything."

Amaya sat back and released her hold on his arm. "I'm still sorry

to hear that. You must miss them terribly."

Kouga shrugged. As a matter of fact, he did, but he wasn't about

to admit it to her. Men weren't aloud to be weak in front of women.

Amaya watched him closely. He was different from anyone she'd

ever met before, and there was something about him that... _I feel like I _

_ could tell him… What I've never told anyone else before._

Kouga raised his head and his eyes met hers, unblinking. For once,

Amaya didn't look away. Her heartbeat quickened again, and she had a

rushing feeling in her head that made it hard to think, but it was a pleasant

feeling. One she didn't want to go away.

Kouga couldn't tear his eyes away, either. He saw something in

her that fascinated him. He wasn't sure what it was, but seeing it, he

was determined to find out. He leaned forward slowly, putting his hand

against the wall that Amaya was sitting by, and gradually came so close to

her that he could feel her body heat. He could smell fear on her, but also…

Something else… Something… _Gods… She's in heat?!_

"Kouga-sama?"

Both demon and girl looked up, startled, their faces flushed.

Looking down at them were three wolf demons from Kouga's

pack, watching them in amusement.

-------------------

Okay! Sorry that took so long, but at least I got it up, right? I believe now is the time I thank everyone who read this, especially people who took the time to review! So... Thank you all! I am your slave for life!!!

Now... Reviewer response! Wheee!!

K-chan 

Thanks Kagome-chan! Although I am going to have to yell at you for making me give you spoilers in school. ((Glares fiercely)) Spoiler... Um... Getter... Heheh...

faerystrangeme ) 

Thanks! Point taken. I know that wasn't all that accurate to the time period, but it's a story for fun... If I barely do research for school projects, why would I do it for something like Night Rain? ... Seriously, it's a good point. But when I created Amaya, basically my whole idea of her was that she had a traumatic past... And I liked this one. The first draft of it... Well... Sucked.

Anyway, next time I do something like this I will try and be more accurate.

LostArtist 

Thank you! I did have fun, although being away from my computer seriously got to me. For some reason, I can't write anywhere except at MY computer... O.O Wierd, I know. The good thing was, I was thinking about the story so much that I was able to write this in under an hour.


	8. The Search

Chapter Seven

The Search

"Kagome, I'm tired."

"We're all tired, whelp, so shut it!" InuYasha snapped, glaring fiercely

at Shippou before Kagome could answer him.

"Just give it a rest, InuYasha," Kagome said, trying hard to keep a calm

face as she scooped up Shippou, cuddling the kitsune close.

"Keh."

Kagome sighed reluctantly and continued trudging wearily after the

hanyou, her eyelids drooping. It had been a long day. InuYasha refused to let

them make camp, and insisted that he didn't want to waste any more time than

necessary looking for the "Dumb wench" and that they would continue until

he got some kind of hint of where Sesshomaru had gone off to.

"Can't we please just rest now?" Kagome pleaded, stifling a yawn.

"What, you wanna stop now?" The hanyou demanded, a tone of annoyance

in his voice. "I thought you were all worried about that girl."

"Please, InuYasha? We're exhausted, and Sango-chan-"

She was cut off by a loud yell of "PERVERT!" and a very loud crash,

as the said demon slayer raised the largest rock available and brought it down

heavily on Miroku's head, effectively knocking the lecherous monk unconscious.

"Oy! Lech!" InuYasha yelled. "Get the hell up and stop grabbing Sango's

ass. She's gonna kill you one of these days."

Miroku didn't respond.

"Keh!" The hanyou grumbled. "I guess you got your wish, Kagome. We

ain't goin' anywhere soon."

Kagome slumped down with a sigh of relief, took her suitcase off of her

back and unrolled it, crawling in as Shippou cuddled up next to her.

"Pathetic," InuYasha muttered, preparing to leap up into a tree to

sleep.

"Oh, and InuYasha-" Kagome continued without opening her eyes, her

calm voice masking the seething fury that had been rising in her gut all day.

"-SIT."

WHAM.

-----

"Is anyone there, Kirara-chan?" Sango asked softly as she stood beside

the lake, the early morning sun glittering on the waters and bathing her in a

soft lake.

The cat demon mewed reassuringly, blinking her large red eyes as

she watched her mistress curiously.

Sango smiled and stripped off her outer garments quickly, wading

into the still freezing water. She'd learned, after living around Miroku for

a while, that it was wise to have Kirara sniff things out before she attempted

bathing.

The slayer shivered and walked further in until the water was up to

her shoulders, at which point she gritted her teeth and forced herself to dunk

her head under the water, resurfacing after a few seconds, spluttering and shivering

in the icy water.

"C-c-cold-" She hissed through chattering teeth, taking another deep

breath and diving under the water, this time staying and swimming below the

surface until she ran out of breath and resurfaced.

Kirara watched in confusion, wondering why on earth her mistress

would want to do such a clearly unpleasant thing, then yawned and stretched,

curled up and went to sleep in the sun.

Meanwhile, the faint sounds of splashing had reached the ears of a

certain lecher, who was slowly making his way toward the source of the sounds

by now.

Miroku peered through a clump of bushes, his eyes lingering on the

scene before him for a long time.

Kirara was curled up on the beach, asleep, so she wouldn't hear or

smell him out. Sango was swimming... Nude... In the lake. He'd had this

dream before, only minus the Kirara. And Sango had been more than willing

to let him see her when she got _out_ of the lake...

He smiled faintly and contented himself with watching from a distance,

an all too well known gleam entering his eyes. Ah, Sango...

The slayer resurfaced one last time, gasping for breath. That should be

enough for now. More than enough. She didn't think she could take anymore

of the frozen water. She made her way out of the water and, still shivering, reached

for her kimono, when a rustling sound from a nearby brush called her attention.

It couldn't be Miroku, could it...? Kirara would have known...

Sango walked cautiously over toward the brush and pulled it aside.

-----

"Kagome, what was that?" Shippou asked, glancing curiously in the direction

the sounds had come from.

"Sounds like Miroku getting his ass kicked," InuYasha commented dully,

munching on a bucket of Ramen he had convinced Kagome to get out.

Kagome narrowed her eyes half-heartedly at the hanyou, but in all honesty,

she was trying very hard not to laugh. It did really sound like the said lecher getting

his ass kicked. And a certain demon slayer doing the ass-kicking.

"Did you manage to find Sesshomaru's scent?" She asked instead, deciding

to keep the peace.

"If I had, would we be sitting here?" He snapped back.

Kagome sighed. "You know, you could at least make an attempt to be civil."

"Yeah, InuYasha," Shippou said, giving the hanyou a scathing glare. No one

was allowed to be rude to Kagome. Not while he was around.

"Feh," InuYasha muttered, turning back to his ramen.

-----

"InuYasha, what is it already?" Kagome asked impatiently, scowling at the

hanyou, who was still bent over with his nose to the ground, sniffing frantically at

something and refusing to acknowledge her presence. "InuYasha!"

InuYasha looked up at her finally, an annoyed expression on his face. "It

could be Sesshomaru's scent, but I'm never gonna find out if you keep bothering

me, am I?!" He demanded, then went back to sniffing the ground.

Kagome rolled her eyes, then looked back at Sango and Miroku, who

were still not on speaking terms. It had been a long day, and everyone's nerves

were stretched to the breaking point.

"That's it!" InuYasha said suddenly, standing up in a flash.

"What? Where?" Kagome asked quickly, watching him eagerly.

"Kagome, get on my back," He ordered, not answering her question.

Kagome sighed, but obeyed, clambering onto InuYasha's back when he

crouched down to make it easier for her. Shippou left his place on Kagome's

shoulder to cling to InuYasha's back with her.

Sango nudged Kirara, who, understanding, instantly jumped from the

slayer's shoulder to the ground, transforming into her larger demon form in a

cloud of flames. Sango jumped onto her back, waiting grudgingly for Miroku

to do the same.

"Did you find his scent?" Kagome questioned.

"Yeah."

"What about Amaya...?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if she wanted

to hear the answer.

"She's not there."

...

"What do you mean, she's not there?" Kagome demanded, worry

rising in her stomach.

"She just isn't," InuYasha replied, taking off at full speed as Kirara ran

close behind. "Sesshomaru's scent is easy to pick up, but it's just him and those

creeps that always hang around him. No sign of anyone else."

Kagome was silent for the remainder of the journey, as she tried to

quiet the feelings of discomfort and worry that began to torment her.

-----

Author's Note: Yet another chapter in this fanfiction... Well, this is where I thankee all the readers!! [Tackle-huggle-glomps the readers] THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! [Cough.]

Reviewer response

K005 -

I believe that's how it sounds, yes.

faerystrangeme-

Thanks! I always like the scenes where Kagome 'sits' InuYasha... Heh... Amusing, even if it makes me extremely pissed off at Kagome... [Twitch] Thanks for the praise, anyway. I wasn't planning on this being a very humorous fic, but it seems determined to have its moments, anyway... Heh... Hopefully, I will be able to put in more stuff like that.

LostArtist -

Thankees! I was originally planning on having her pair up with someone else, but it was too much of a cliche... Nobody ever does Kouga, and they're so completely different that they're perfect for eachother. [Sweatdrop] At least, that's how I see things in my demented little world I call a mind...

K-chan-

Thank you! [Curtsy] Fluff is fun, isn't it? [Grin] I love writing stuff like that... Sigh... But this is an angst fanfic... It may not be all fluff. [Hint hint] Ahem...


	9. The Pack

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, the television series or the graphic novels.

-----

Chapter Eight

The Pack

--------

"Jaken."

"Yes, milord?"

"Make sure Rin is asleep."

"...Yes, milord."

Sesshomaru watched the toad demon walk reluctantly toward the edgeof the clearing to pause by the side of the small human girl. He'd come to consider her a daughter, almost, although he wouldn't admit it to anyone under threat of pain or torture, not even to himself.

He stood and walked out of the clearing he'd been staying in, not stopping when Jaken questioned after him in concern.

Damn that wench.

To be defeated in battle by a mortal girl. He had never been so insulted. And all because of that cocky wolf youkai.

Mock Sesshomaru, will he?

That smug, over-confident young demon that had thrown himself, foolishly, into the path of one of the most powerful youkai in Japan and dared to mock him. He'd killed the bastard, ripped his limbs apart. Watched the little fuck's blood spill out onto the ground in front of him... And he'd enjoyed it. But then the others had come. So loyal they were to their pack members. Annoyingly loyal.

_"So this is the Sesshomaru I've heard so much about, eh...? Is it true that your __father mated with a human bitch?"_

Sesshomaru scowled. He'd thought the same things, bitterly, to himself, so many times, but hearing it from another youkai somehow made it all the more painful.

I'll have my revenge. On that wench, and on the entire pack. No one mocks Sesshomaru and lives to tell the tale.

-----

"Tell me again why she's here?" The wolf demon demanded, annoyed, glancing at the sleeping girl in their den out of the corner of his eye.

"She saved my life," Kouga informed him dully, staring out through the opening of their cave, watching the waterfall pound down heavily on the rocks below. "I owed her."

His pack member eyed him doubtfully, but decided not to push the subject. Kouga had been acting strange ever since they'd found him with the human girl. Surely, he hadn't developed real feelings for her, had he? She'd been in heat when they came across the two, and he must have only been reacting to the scent. That must have been it.

"If you're sure," The demon replied, then leapt out to join the rest of his pack in the hunt, glancing back at his leader uncertainly.

Kouga watched him emotionlessly until he was completely out of sight, then turned slowly to gaze at Amaya, who was sleeping peacefully with her head tilted to the side and her chest gently rising and falling.

I don't care for her, do I?

Of course not. Kagome was to be his mate. Not this girl that he hardly knew, who could hardly even be compared to Kagome.

Of course not.

-----

"So what does this one do, Amaya-san?"

Amaya smiled up sweetly at Akahito. The wolf demon was so curious about all this, it was really adorable. Almost funny. She'd started to think of the full-grown youkai as a child, almost. "It helps increase circulation, if applied to wounds properly."

What am I doing here?

The question had been growing in her mind ever since she had arrived. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippou... They must be worried sick. But somehow, Amaya just couldn't get herself to want to leave. She'd been frightened at first, being defenseless among all of these men, but they had been kind towards her for her stay, and eventually, she had warmed up to them.

Besides, they can't even trace InuYasha's scent because of all that rain.

But that wasn't the real reason, and Amaya knew it. In the past, she wouldn't have let something so trivial stop her from completing a goal. So why...?

Kouga.

No. Not him. That had been a mistake, simply put. She didn't love him, didn't even like him, not in that way.

Do I?

"Amaya-san?"

She started and turned swiftly to face a confused-looking Akahito. "Ah, sorry, Akahito... I must have spaced out."

The demon smiled and looked away, pretending to examine a nearby herb. Of course, she had been thinking of Kouga. He wasn't blind, and he'd seen the looks that his pack leader and Amaya had given eachother when they thought no one was looking.

So Kouga has found a new woman to become obsessed with... Good thing, too. Kagome doesn't care one thing about him, and it's about time he moved on.

Akahito inspected the human girl closely. Yes, she was strong, gentle but firm, loving, but not afraid to stand and fight. She would make a worthy mate for Kouga.

"Something wrong, Akahito?" Amaya asked absently, running a hand through her hair as she walked.

"Nothing," He replied pleasantly, a small smile forming on his face. "Nothing at all."

----

"Kouga-san!"

Kouga couldn't repress a small smile as he turned to face Amaya, who had just returned to his den with Akahito. Why did the sight of her face have the power to make him feel the way he felt...? Kagome had never made him feel that way...

No. He wasn't allowed to think that. Kagome was his mate, and Amaya was just... Just a distraction. That was all she would ever be.

"Hello," He said formally.

Amaya looked slightly disappointed at the tone in his voice, and her eyes drifted to the ground.

"Something wrong?" Kouga asked coolly, turning his back to her and stumbling over toward the back of the cave in an attempt to look busy, as though he had no time for her.

"No, nothing," Amaya said softly, blinking in confusion. Well, it wasn't as though she really cared about him or anything. Right? Of course...

Back at the cave, he'd looked as though he wanted to kiss her. Why would he have if he didn't care for her? And, as much as she hated to admit it, Amaya had sort of wanted to be kissed.

"Kouga-san," She stated, an unreadable expression on her face. "I think I should be getting back to my friends now." The only way to get over this foolishness was to leave Kouga now.  
Kouga looked back at her, startled. A slightly hurt look flashed in his eyes, but it was gone soon enough. "Fine," He said coldly. "Akahito will take you... Immediately."

-----

InuYasha stopped and sniffed at the air suddenly, alerting Kagome, who almost fell off of his back from the sudden stop. "What's wrong?" She asked, not without a little annoyance.

"I don't believe it," the hanyou muttered under his breath, then growled softly.

Kagome didn't have time to ask anything else before a strange wolf youkai, carrying Amaya on his back, dashed into the clearing before them. Kirara came to a stop just by them, growling deep in her throat.

"This your stop?" Akahito asked mildly, bending down to let Amaya clamber off of his back.

"Thank you," She said softly, giving him a gentle smile.

"What the HELL?!" InuYasha demanded, dropping Kagome off of his back and stomping forward to grab Amaya by the front of her clothing. "We thought you were kidnapped by my bastard of a brother and you were messin' around with that idiot wolf demon..."

"I think... I must be going now," Akahito commented nervously, waiting for a nod from Amaya before he took off.

"InuYasha, put her down. Now." Kagome demanded.

"Mind your own damn business."

"Sit."

----

Author's note: Eh... Sorry about this chapter, it's not as good as I wanted it to be... Oh well.

Have been having writer's-block-type illness recently. Next chapter will be better.

faerystrangeme

Thank you, and I will try to keep up the work... I apologize for chapter seven not being as exciting, but I really wanted to do at least one chapter without Amaya in it... Don't ask. =) Heehee... Amaya will be in the next chapter much more, and I hope to be able to put more action-ish-stuff into it.

K-chan

Thanksyou. [Bows] I'm still not sure whether or not to pair up Sango and Miroku and/or InuYasha and Kagome... [Backs away from K-chan a little] Although I fear mauling from the resident InuYasha and Kagome fanfiction lover... Eheh. There will be IY/K and S/M fanfictions in the near future. Many... Many fics. Beware of the fluffiness. [Twitch]

Angela

Thankees! [Grin] I wonder how many different kinds of ways I can say 'thanks' in the reviewer responses. Oh well! I appreciates the praise very much so!


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